As Editors Guild red-flags Karnataka’s fact-check unit, minister says it’s ‘apolitical’, won’t impinge on press freedom

EGI notes with concern, some aspects of Karnataka govt’s decision to set up a ‘fact-checking unit’ to monitor ‘fake news’. We urge all govts to ensure such units are independent of executive control and their scope and powers are specified so as to not trample upon press freedom pic.twitter.com/7G9pdOweFQ

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) August 27, 2023

Responding to the statement, Kharge posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the fact-checking unit would “uphold an apolitical stance, devoid of bias and will transparently explain the methodologies employed to the public”.

As acknowledged by the Editors Guild of India, the online realm faces a challenge of misinformation and fake news, necessitating the implementation of measures to address this issue.

I wish to reassure the esteemed organization that our fact-check unit will uphold an apolitical… https://t.co/PYbGE8VkRy

— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) August 29, 2023

On the Guild’s suggestion that fact-checking be left to independent bodies that are not under the sole purview of the government, the minister said the government was in the process of “establishing independent bodies that will be enlisted to assist us in combating fake news and misinformation”.

“Rest assured, we will diligently follow the tenets of natural justice. Let it be clear that the establishment of this unit is in no way an attempt to impinge upon the freedom of the press,” added the minister for information technology/biotechnology, rural development and panchayat raj.

The proposed fact-checking unit will be set up in coordination with home and IT/BT departments. Later the home department will solely handle it.

According to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office last week, the government’s aim is to tackle “fake news syndicates”, which it accused of “weakening democracy and creating polarisation in society”. The unit will prevent the dissemination of such news and punish those sharing it, the statement further said.